Basic Urban Hydrology Course
Online course of 300 hours in basic urban hydrology. 6 modules covering the urban hydrological cycle, rainfall analysis, rainfall-runoff transformation, basic network hydraulics and modelling with EPA SWMM, applying Instruction 5.2-IC and Royal Decree 903/2010, with an assigned technical tutor.
Basic Urban Hydrology Course — studying from Canada
Canada's infrastructure needs drive significant civil engineering activity, from highways and bridges to urban transit and water systems. Major transit projects in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary involve rail, tunnelling and smart city technologies. Rail operators and suppliers, including Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National, depend on engineering expertise in track, signalling and structures. Provincial ministries of transportation and municipal engineering departments are key employers, alongside consulting firms.
Fees for Canada: C$1,010 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Who regulates civil engineering titles in Canada, and does SEIUM count?
Civil engineers in Canada are typically licensed as Professional Engineers by provincial associations, such as Engineers Canada's member bodies, which set licensing requirements including accredited education and experience. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. They do not by themselves grant a P.Eng. licence, so check with the relevant association.
Are these qualifications useful to rail or smart city employers in Canada?
Canada has significant rail, transit and urban infrastructure work, including major projects in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Public agencies and consultancies usually prioritise licensed engineers and verifiable experience. A SEIUM qualification may complement your profile, but whether it is recognised is for each employer to decide, so it is worth asking them before you commit.
Can I study part-time while working, and is employer funding possible?
Yes, the programmes are 100% online, so you can study from home without a student visa and fit sessions around work. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports you. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, depending on your employer's policies.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the hydrological cycle in urbanised environments.
Analyse rainfall and build intensity-duration-frequency curves.
Apply rainfall-runoff transformation methods.
Size free-surface drainage pipes.
Use a basic urban drainage model with SWMM.
Diagnose flooding problems in urban catchments.
Carry out a hydrological study of an urban catchment.
Who it's for
- Urban hydrology technicians who want a solid grounding in rainfall-runoff analysis.
- Sewerage network engineers.
- Municipal infrastructure technicians.
- Drainage designers.
- Flood risk analysts.
- Technical staff at water utilities.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to work in local authorities and municipal companies.
What you'll work with
- Order FOM/298/2016 (Instruction 5.2-IC on surface drainage)
- Royal Decree 903/2010 (assessment and management of flood risks)
- Directive 2007/60/EC (assessment and management of flood risks)
- Royal Legislative Decree 1/2001 (consolidated text of the Spanish Water Act)
- Royal Decree 849/1986 (Regulation on the Public Water Domain)
- UNE-EN 752 (drain and sewer systems outside buildings)
- Directive (EU) 2024/3019 (urban wastewater treatment)
- EPA SWMM
- HEC-HMS
- QGIS
- Microsoft Excel
6 modules
1.1Natural and urban hydrological cycle1.2Effects of soil sealing1.3Urban catchments and their delineation1.4Precipitation, runoff and infiltration1.5Time of concentration in urban areas1.6Land uses and runoff coefficients1.7Interaction with urban aquifers1.8Hydrological data: AEMET and rain-gauge networks1.9Mapping and digital elevation models1.10Case study: delineation of an urban catchment with GIS
2.1Pluviometry and pluviography2.2Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves2.3Return period and risk2.4Gumbel and SQRT-ETmax distributions2.5Maximum daily rainfall in peninsular Spain2.6Design hyetographs: alternating block method2.7Chicago and Huff storms2.8Influence of climate change on rainfall2.9Weather radar and nowcasting2.10Practical exercise: building the IDF curves of a city
3.1Rational and modified rational method3.2SCS curve number3.3Initial losses and Horton infiltration3.4Unit hydrograph and its variants3.5Non-linear reservoir in sub-catchments3.6Urban flood hydrographs3.7Instruction 5.2-IC on surface drainage3.8Calibration with gauged data3.9Uncertainty in flow estimation3.10Workshop: calculating flows by several methods
4.1Free-surface flow in sewers4.2Manning equation and velocities4.3Capacity of pipes and channels4.4Gully inlets and street drains4.5Surface flow in streets4.6Combined and separate networks4.7Backwater and surcharge4.8Manholes and local losses4.9Municipal design criteria4.10Lab: sizing a sewer with Manning
5.1Introduction to EPA SWMM5.2Representation of sub-catchments and nodes5.3Simulation of rainfall events5.4Reading and interpreting results5.5Urban flooding problems5.6Combined sewer overflows (CSOs)5.7Structural and non-structural measures5.8Introduction to sustainable drainage systems5.9Communicating water-related risk5.10Case study: diagnosis of a neighbourhood with recurrent flooding
6.1Selection of the study catchment6.2Physical characterisation and land uses6.3Rainfall analysis and design storm6.4Calculation of design flows6.5Checking the existing network6.6Proposed improvements6.7Analysis of results and limitations6.8Management recommendations6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is EPA SWMM, HEC-HMS, QGIS and Microsoft Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for building IDF curves, calculating urban runoff flows and diagnosing existing drainage networks. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Order FOM/298/2016 (Instruction 5.2-IC), Royal Decree 903/2010, Directive 2007/60/EC, Royal Legislative Decree 1/2001, Royal Decree 849/1986, UNE-EN 752, Directive (EU) 2024/3019.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with EPA SWMM, HEC-HMS, QGIS and Microsoft Excel, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Course in Parametric Design for Singular Structures
Online course of 300 hours in parametric design for singular structures. 6 modules covering algorithmic design, structural geometry and form-finding, integrated analysis, optimisation and digital fabrication…
Course in Urban Data Observatories
Online 300-hour course in Urban Data Observatories. 6 modules covering Directive (EU) 2019/1024 on open data, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/138 on high-value datasets and QGIS. Assigned…
Tactical Urbanism and Flexible Spaces Course
Online course of 300 hours in tactical urbanism and flexible spaces, structured in 6 modules covering tactical urbanism, flexible spaces, intervention design, implementation and permits, and…
More in Civil, Rail & Smart Cities
All Civil, Rail & Smart Cities programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships